Trinity is renowned for its numerous clubs and societies and the ways they bring the College community together and contribute to its unique and vibrant character.
Clubs and societies at Trinity are coordinated by the Trinity College Associated Clubs (TCAC) Committee.
TCAC Committee members are elected annually by the students. The Committee members are jointly responsible for organising and conducting a variety of cultural, sporting and social activities that enrich College community life and develop intellectual, social and physical skills. They also inject much fun and enjoyment into College life.
Because the scope of each club’s activities is entirely up to the elected committees, the clubs and societies often differ from year to year. What does remain constant is the encouragement and welcome extended to all resident students to join in and enhance the College community experience.
With so many activities to organise there are many opportunities for students to take up leadership roles and develop leadership skills. Opportunities range from the responsibilities of the TCAC to simple committee membership. Students often surprise themselves at the skills they develop and the enjoyment they gain from organising activities for their peers.
TCAC
The Trinity College Associated Clubs (TCAC) is an incorporated student association within the College, encompassing and representing all residents as members of the Junior Common Room. Its primary aim is to foster good fellowship among all its members and to organise cultural, sporting, social and wider community activities in which all students can participate.
Formed in 1934 as a replacement for the former student-run association, the ‘Social Club’, the TCAC has since provided an invaluable level of organisation and representation to the College community. The TCAC is managed by a committee of eight elected representatives.
Clubs and activities
Art Studio
The Art Studio stands as a lasting bastion against the onslaught of convention and the pastel shades of dreary modernity. The Art Studio is more than a physical space in the Arts precinct that’s tucked away behind the Stewart House building. It’s a group of likeminded people united in their love and appreciation of art, culture and full-bodied red wine.
Beer Brewing
This is the club for those interested in mastering the sacred art of brewing their own beer. This group is committed to the appreciation of all things beer and beer-related.
Beer Budlay
The Beer Budlay committee contributes significantly to the Trinity College social calendar. They are official bartenders and suppliers of V-Day, and provide students with some of the year’s most successful parties, which members can enjoy at discounted prices.
Billiards Room
Billiards Room members have year-round access to the Trinity Billiards Room, with its full-sized billiards table, billiards/snooker balls, cues, chalk, a ‘foosball’ table, and some of the most comfortable couches on the crescent. Events include annual billiards and darts competitions and parties with discounted prices for members.
Cooking Society
The Trinity College Cooking Society provides opportunities to cook (and eat) throughout the year. Events include cooking tutes, guest chefs, casual basement cooking, dinner parties and, of course, we aim to hold a Trinity College Master Chef competition.
Dance Club
You can try out a multitude of dancing styles under the tuition of specialised instructors and talented students at the Dance Club. Previous dance experience is not essential – the Dance Club is designed for everyone to have a go!
Dialectic Society
The Trinity College Dialectic Society has been operating for 134 years in 2011, and is Australia’s oldest collegiate society. All members of the College, resident and non-resident, are automatically members of the Society, which encourages the practice of oratory and the promotion of literary culture. The Society’s regular activities include the intercollegiate, inter-building and comedy debates, public speaking, the Frank Carse essay-writing competition, and an annual dinner.
Drama Club
The Trinity College Drama Club, founded in 1879, is responsible for staging the College play in the first Semester each year. All resident students and tutors are invited to audition for parts or apply for support positions. The President of the Drama Club appoints the Captain of the Theatre Sports team, which competes in the Inter-collegiate Theatre Sports Competition. The results of this contribute toward the awarding of the Arts Shield.
ER White Club
Established in 1989 by the College Art Committee, the Edward Rowden White Collection is a student-run club that purchases contemporary art for the College’s Art Collection each year with funds provided from an endowment set up following the sale of John Brack’s The Breakfast Table. This unique club has been responsible for the purchase of many of the College’s prized artworks.
Film Society
The Film Society regularly provides entertainment of the cinematic variety to the College community. The Society caters for all tastes and broadens the students’ experience of films and film genres. This club is all about getting together, socialising and watching great films along with sampling some tasty refreshments.
Fitzstaneith Polling
A long, long time ago, in a far darker time (1995 to be exact), resident students Shem Fitzgerald, Richard Stanley and Simon Reith conceived a forum in which anonymous voting would lead to pointless collating of results and humorous (yet equally pointless) summaries of these results. This club trawls and polls the depths of the earth to learn the truth about Trinitarians. Newcomers will be told of the club Fitzstaneith Polling, which will forever live up to its mantra, ‘Go Fitz yourself!’.
Games Society
The motto of this club is ludo ingeniose, ludo iustus: play smart, play fair. Proud owners of the Trinity College Games Cupboard, the Games Society know their games - Monopoly, Scrabble, Articulate and many more – they’re all here! They also offer relaxing games nights in the JCR as well as video game challenges.
Informal Dining Society (IDS)
Students cultivate an appreciation of food outside the College Dining Hall in the Informal Dining Society. This Society organises barbeques at College events, and arranges regular group outings at some of Melbourne’s best-known establishments where they partake of an enjoyable meal or ‘food crawl’ (at heavily discounted prices).
Music Society
The Trinity College Music Society feeds the musical appetite of the College. Main events include musical soirées throughout the year, musical excursions and, of course, the legendary inter-collegiate Battle of the Bands.
Music Theatre Society
The Music Theatre Society produces the College musical each year. The musical draws cast and chorus members from the College community (students and tutors) as well as members of the wider community. It also draws upon the talents of many budding musicians, costume designers, set designers and builders to help with backstage activities. In most years the musical is produced at an outside venue such as the Union Theatre at the University of Melbourne.
Outreach
Outreach represents and manages several increasingly prominent elements of student life at Trinity, including community service, awareness of social justice issues, fundraising and cultural integration. Outreach programs include Red Cross Homework Club (tutoring); SAIL Program (Sudanese Australian Integrated Learning); guest speaker afternoon teas, and the Mission Australia Winter Sleepout. Some of these activities have been initiatives from student’s entries in the annual Louise Gourlay Prize for Social Change which offers a first prize of $2,000 to the winning team.
Trinity International Social Committee (TISC)
TISC is about raising cross-cultural awareness and understanding. The society helps international students relax in their new home, offers local students an opportunity to learn about various other cultures, and brings together the different cultures that make Trinity what it is – a fun, caring and inclusive environment for everyone!
Trinity Racquets Society (TRS)
Established in 2011, the TRS promotes and facilitates racquet sports amongst residents of the College, beginners and experts alike. Currently, this involves semester-long tennis and squash competitions, as well as Trinity's own Wimbledon in second semester, run in conjunction with the Trinity College Cooking Society.
Trinity Recreational Alpine Club (TRAC)
TRAC engenders College spirit in all students through the shared enjoyment of the outdoors of this, the greatest country in the world! The club organises trips to recreational activities such as paintball, go-karting and weekend ski trips.
Wine Cellar
The Wine Cellar is one of the oldest clubs at Trinity, and facilitates social events where members learn about and enjoy wine. They throw the biggest on-campus party of the year, Paraiso, and take smaller groups on a Winery Tour and Day at the Races. They also hold regular wine tutorials in the Wine Cellar, and hold the annual Wine Cellar champagne breakfast on V-Day.
Other Committee involvement and leadership opportunities
Resident students are encouraged to become involved with leadership and the management of a variety of committees that are critical to the rich and rewarding experience of residency. Committee membership is also a way for students to find their personal niche in College life and contribute to the sense of community that Trinity fosters. The work of the committees repeatedly demonstrates the capabilities of the students to hold quality events and operate effective clubs.
Students may volunteer or be appointed to the following committees:
Ball Committee
Every year, Trinity puts on one of the best balls (if not the best ball) of the College Crescent. The Ball Committee is chosen and charged with such a challenge under the guidance and leadership of the TCAC’s Social Secretary. Theme, venue, decorations, price negotiations, advertising, ticket sales – all these (and plenty more) are managed by the Committee.
Beer Garden (newspaper)
The Beer Garden is Trinity’s very own student-run newspaper. It fosters and facilitates debate on current issues and records the day-to-day life of Trinity. The editorial committee is assembled at the beginning of each year. The nominated editor-in-chief passes his discerning eye over all contributions – some make the cut, some don’t. However, contributions of all varieties are always welcome.
Buildings & Grounds Advisory Group
Headed by the TCAC’s Indoor Representative, the Buildings and Grounds Committee offers constructive, critical support to the Buildings and Grounds Department of the College. This is a committee of a wide variety of interested residents who meet to discuss current or future issues concerning the College buildings and grounds.
Bulpadok (literary journal)
The Bulpadok is the College’s literary journal. It is normally published annually and seeks contributions from any person associated with the College (past and present tutors and students, resident and non-resident students, Fellows, Council members). Its contents range from scholarly essays to poems and creative prose. Photographs, works of art, and even musical scores are also welcome. The C L H Pullar Prize is awarded annually for the best item to appear in the Bulpadok.
Buttery (JCR Bar)
The Buttery is located in the Junior Common Room and is run by a Bar Manager with the aid of a Bar Treasurer, who are appointed each year. The Buttery sells beverages of all varieties at extremely reasonable (some might say ‘student’) prices in accordance with its primary aim of providing a welcoming social space within the College for residents to come, relax and enjoy.
Environment Committee
As the world is increasingly becoming aware, green is the new black. The Environment Committee is a group of students determined to implement changes around the College to ensure a sustainable future. They collaborate with administration and students on water and waste management, recycling and a number of the pressing sustainability concerns.
Fleur-de-Lys (yearbook)
The Fleur-de-Lys magazine is published each year by the students and captures in words and pictures the experiences of residents over their past year. It is compiled by a team of editors who work throughout the year and present a record of the goings-on of all the Clubs and Societies and sporting events.
Food Group
Headed by the TCAC’s Indoor Representative, the Food Group has the primary aim of improving the quality of food provided to the residents of the College. They discuss pertinent questions relating to both the variety and the types of food served. They offer constructively critical support to the catering staff.
Jester Committee
Headed by the mascot of Trinity, the College Jesters (Keepers of the Kollege Konstitution), the Jester Committee (The Fly-swatters) act to ensure that all sporting and cultural events Trinity participates in receive appropriate support from the wider College community – theirs is a loud voice that resonates broadly among the Trinity population.
Northern Territory Trip Committee
Each year during the September break, approximately one dozen residents undertake an excursion to the Northern Territory. The trip takes them to Darwin, Katherine and the Minyerri Aboriginal Community, with which the College has a close relationship. The TCAC’s Community Representative leads the committee, which must organise all trip details and arrangements.
Student Chaplaincy Council
The Chaplaincy Council supports the work of the Chaplains in preparing for the major weekly services. They participate as crucifers, acolytes, greeters, readers, servers and intercessors, and from time-to-time as speakers.
Student IT Committee
The Student IT Committee is the first port of call for students who have queries or require assistance with computers and technology. The committee is in charge of the Upper Clarke’s Computer Room, provides technical support around the rest of the College, and offers invaluable support to the College’s IT Department.
Tech Committee
The Tech Committee provides technical services to the Clubs and Societies and the TCAC for various events held throughout the year. They set up speakers, DJ equipment and the dance floor, and provide a much-needed DJ for many College parties.